Ti Penso Sempre
by AlerieofDorne
Summary: Victor and Ida are getting married! Will planning the wedding bring another couple closer together? ProsperXHornet
1. Prologue: Vespa

_**Ti Penso Sempre**_

_**Prologue: Vespa**_

**)-(**

He had liked her from the moment he'd met her.

He remembered the day he'd met her perfectly, too. The four years that had passed had done nothing to tarnish his memories.

Night had fallen over the city of Venice, the city's lights flickered and reflected off of the canal's deep black water. He and Bo were huddled close together in an alley, shivering from the cold damp air. The only sound was the slap of water against wood and Bo's unrelenting cough. Prosper pulled his little brother closer to him, trying his best to keep him warm, but it was no use. Bo had been coughing ever since they had arrived in Venice and had only gotten worse. He was even starting to get a fever.

Prosper closed his eyes and tried to remember what his mother had done whenever they'd gotten sick. She would make sure they were wrapped up tight in warm clothes and tucked into a nice soft bed. She would make them a hot chicken soup and gently coax them into taking medicine. But Prosper couldn't do the same for Bo. They didn't have any clothes other than the ones on their back and they certainly didn't have beds anymore. As for chicken soup… they couldn't even afford a scrap of bread. Prosper had tried to steal a bottle of medicine, but he had been so nervous and then the pharmacist had startled him so much he accidentally broke the bottle. He and Bo had barely managed to run away from the angry pharmacist.

Prosper had thought everything would get easier once they came to Venice, but even though the city was beautiful and wonderful he and Bo were barely scraping by. Now, here they were, sleeping in alleys with the rats.

He gently shook Bo awake.

"What is it, Prop?"

Prosper didn't answer. He knew if he told Bo what he was about to do he would make such a fuss he'd wake up the whole city. Luckily, Bo was too groggy to care and just held tight to his hand as he led him out into the streets of Venice. Bo had no idea that Prosper was looking for a policeman to say "My brother and I ran away, but now he is sick. Can you please call our aunt?"

Beside him Bo kept coughing.

"_É malato?_" The soft low voice seemed to have come out of nowhere, but looking up Prosper saw it's owner walking out of another dark alley. It was a girl. She was carrying some rather heavy looking groceries and looked no older than himself. Her large grey eyes stared at him inquisitively as she repeated her question. She was asking if Bo was sick, he could understand that much. He nodded.

"_Ah, povero angelo,_" She ruffled Bo's hair with a comforting smile before frowning. "_Ha la febbre. Dovresti tornare a casa e nel letto._"

Now it was Prosper's turn to frown. She said something about a fever, and something about a house and then something about a bed… Bo had a fever and he should take him home to bed? Was that what she had said? He tried to string together what little Italian his mother had taught him to form a good answer but it was too late the girl had already noticed his confusion.

"_Parli Italiano?_" she asked. He knew what that meant. Did he speak Italian? He gave her an honest answer.

"_Si, un poco._" Yes, a little.

"_Turista?_"

He shook his head, he didn't think he and Bo really qualified as tourists at this point. She frowned again, obviously puzzled. He could feel her eyes looking them over, from the top of their messy hair to the bottom of their worn out shoes. Bo leaned against his legs, he was obviously tired. Usually he would've been chattering away and smiling, but now he just closed his eyes and squeezed Prosper's hand.

"_Dove sono i tuoi genitori?_" She asked something about parents. Prosper just shook his head. Her eyes widened a little. "_Siete orfani?_"

Orfani… orphans? Well, she had just asked about their parents, so that made sense. Still, he hesitated a little before nodding.

She bit her lip and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, she cast one more look at little shivering Bo before shifting her groceries onto her hip and offering Prosper her hand.

"_Venga con me._"

Looking back Prosper wasn't sure what made him comply. He had taken hold of her hand automatically and he and Bo had indeed followed her to the Stella. They met two other boys there. One was small with spiky hair and bad teeth, the other was tall and as dark as a shadow. Riccio and Mosca she had called them. They washed up in the men's bathroom and were given clothes to choose from, but not before the girl had cajoled Bo into taking a whole spoonful of medicine.

It wasn't until she was serving them bowls of soup that Prosper realized he didn't even know her name.

"_Come ti chiami?_" The girl looked up, surprised, then she laughed.

"_Non posso credere che non ti ho detto il mio nome!_" She chuckled a little more before saying very slowly and clearly: "_Vespa._"

"_Vespa?_" Didn't that mean wasp or hornet or some other stinging creature?

She nodded and turned around, grabbing her hair as she did so. "_Come una vespa._"

Prosper smiled, that long braid did sort of look like a stinger.

"_E tu?_"

"Prosper."

"_Prospero?_"

He shook his head, "Just Prosper."

She nodded at Bo who was scarfing down his bread. "_E lui?_"

"My _fratello_. Bo."

"Prosper _e_ Bo" she smiled, "_Benvenuti nella nostra famiglia._"

If it hadn't been for Hornet he and Bo would've gone back to Esther for sure. If she hadn't offered him her hand that night they never would've met Riccio or Mosca, or Scipio. They wouldn't have all gone to steal the wing and discover the secret merry-go-round. They would have never ended up living in Ida's big comfy house. In the end it was all because of her. All because she had seen two orphan boys and taken them in without a second thought.

Now she still lived with him and Bo in Ida's house, but four years had gone by and what had once been a little crush had grown and grown over the years. Grown to the point where Prosper sometimes felt he couldn't contain his feelings for her, but in the end he also felt he had to. So many years had passed… surely she didn't think of him as anything more than a brother. Confessing to her would just make everything awkward. It would be bad enough if she just ended up rejecting him, but they had to live together as well. No, there was no way Hornet could ever know he liked her.

Sighing he reached over and turned off the little lamp on his bedside table. Bo was already snoring softly on the other side of the room. Prosper pulled the bedcovers over himself, closed his eyes, and dreamed of the grey eyed girl in the bedroom across the hall.

**

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A/N: ****Well? What do you guys think? Please review and let me know and tune in for the next chapter!**

**Oh! And if you're confused as to why she's referred to as _Vespa_… well, basically I was trying to imagine this from Prosper's point of view, who at the time still wasn't very fluent in Italian and would most likely still think predominantly in German. After he learns Italian better and uses it as a main language I imagine he just starts thinking in Italian more, so _Vespa_ eventually becomes Hornet in his mind. At least, that's my rationalization and I'm sticking to it!**

**The real Italian word for hornet is actually _calabrone_ but I used _vespa_, which can mean either wasp or hornet, mainly because it just sounds more feminine. Also, sorry if the translations aren't totally accurate! I'll fix them if I find better ones.**


	2. Maybe It's For The Best

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Thief Lord.**

* * *

_**Chapter One: Maybe It's For The Best**_

**)-(**

Hornet groaned a bit before pulling the bedcovers over her head. How was it morning already? It felt like she'd barely climbed into bed. She knew it was her own fault for staying up so late, but the book Ida had recommended to her had been so fascinating she could hardly put it down. The next thing she knew it was two in the morning and she was still reading about magicians and fairies.

She groaned again and buried her head in her pillow when she remembered she had to go to work today. Normally she loved going to work, after all not many people could say they had once lived in their place of employment.

Dottore Massimo had surprised everyone when he had let Scipio and Victor buy the Stella from him instead of just giving the construction workers the go ahead to tear it down. It took almost a whole year of repairs but the Stella was now a fully functioning theater once again and among its first hires were Prosper and Hornet. They loved working there, serving popcorn and drinks to people who had no idea they were watching films in what used to be their old home. Once in a while they would sneak in at night and go sit on the stage and hide behind the new star speckled curtains and just talk. Behind that curtain it was as if nothing had changed, as if the years hadn't passed. Behind that curtain they weren't siblings, they were just friends.

It certainly hadn't been her idea to start thinking of Prosper Maier as her brother. How could it have been? She'd had a crush in him since the moment she had seen him and Bo that cold night. Ida had been the one who had first started calling them that the day she had registered them for school. Hornet could understand why she had done it, she had only been trying to avoid unnecessary questions. She had tried to legally adopt them but it was impossible since although Esther and Max Hartlieb had supposedly left their nephews in an orphanage they refused to give them up completely and once a year without fail they sent a letter asking how they were. Ida didn't have much luck adopting Hornet either, mostly since she wasn't an actual orphan, she still had parents out there somewhere. Saying that Hornet was Prosper and Bo's step-sister and that she was their guardian while their aunt and uncle continued living in Germany just seemed like the easiest answer at the time.

But now four years had passed and they were still acting like brother and sister.

"Maybe it's for the best," mused Hornet. After all, if they had started dating there would've been countless scandalous rumors milling about. It's not as if anyone thought they were actually blood related, (they stressed the step part of their relationship enough times throughout the years for anyone to think that) but there was still something taboo about two teenagers living under the same roof and dating.

Still, just because the entire world thought of them as siblings did that mean that was all they ever could be?

Hornet curled up and hugged her pillow tight. It was only eight in the morning and she could already feel a headache creeping in from all the thinking she was doing.

* * *

"Please, Prop? Please, please, please?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, Bo. I don't get out of work until late tonight."

Ida shook her head and chuckled at the two boys sitting at her kitchen table. "Oh, go on, Prosper. He's been dying to watch that movie, and he was sick during the premiere! I won't mind if you're home late just this once."

"Who's going to be late?" said Hornet as she walked into the sunny kitchen, her hair still damp from her morning shower. She seated herself next to the boys and grabbed one of the many breakfast rolls Lucia had baked for them.

"Bo wants Prosper to take him to watch that movie about the owls," explained Ida.

"Oh, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole! I loved those books when I was younger."

"Me, too!" cried Bo. "Thanks for lending them to me Hornet!"

"Anytime, Bo. I hope you like the movie just as much. Oh, Prosper, can you hand me the Nutella?"

"Whoa, wait," interrupted Prosper while handing over the hazelnut spread she loved so much. "Bo, I don't want you to get your hopes up. I'm not even sure if there's going be a showing that late. We might just have to wait until next week."

"But Prosper! You promised!"

"Oh, come on, Prop, just trade with me, I get out at six."

"I don't know…" said Prosper, "You worked late yesterday didn't you?"

Hornet rolled her eyes at him, "It's okay, Prop, I can handle staying up late two nights in a row. I'm a big girl now."

Prosper smirked but didn't respond. She was practically setting herself up for a short joke. Hornet had barely grown over the past four years, she was still only five feet tall. All the boys except Riccio and Bo had already been taller than her, but after four years they positively dwarfed her. Even Riccio was taller than her, and before long Bo would be catching up to her as well. It was something they constantly teased her about, but she didn't mind. In fact, it almost seemed like she enjoyed the short jokes.

"Alright, well, as long as you go straight to bed when you get home. You'll never get to sleep if you start reading."

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, "Fine, I promise."

"Yes!" yelled out Bo. He was beaming as he rushed over and gave Hornet a big hug, "Thanks, Hornet!"

"You're welcome," she ruffled his light blonde hair. "Vero angelo, how is it you've stayed so adorable all these years?"

"Stop it," said Prosper with a smile. "He's ten years old already, you're going spoil him if you keep treating him as if he's still six and a quarter."

"Oh, but he's such a little angel!" joined in Ida as she too ruffled Bo's hair. Bo himself looked quite pleased with all the attention.

Prosper just chuckled and shook his head as he kept drinking his coffee. After all these years all the girls still fell for Bo.

* * *

Victor looked from the blue to the red.

Then from the red to the blue.

Then from the blue to the red again.

"This is impossible!" he cried out.

How could this happen? He had planned every moment so carefully but now the day was finally here and he couldn't even decide whether he should wear a red tie or a blue one?

It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Paula and her husband were of no help either. He'd already tried holding up the ties to their cage but the tortoises just stared at him blankly and continued munching away at their lettuce. The detective couldn't really understand how they could be so calm when he felt like a bundle of nerves. He was so jittery that he must've jumped at least a foot when his assistant came walking in the door.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Scipio.

"Scipio, please," he ran over to the younger man, both ties still in his hands. "Which one should I wear tonight?"

Scipio's eyes examined the ties.

They went from the red to the blue.

Then from the blue to the red.

Then from the red to the blue again.

"Neither. Wear the grey one," he said at last.

"The grey one?" Victor asked. "Why?"

"Didn't she give you that one for your birthday last year?"

Victor's eyes grew large in realization. "Of course! You're right! You're so right!"

"Aren't I always?" responded Scipio cheekily as he settled himself into one of the squashy chairs that were usually reserved for clients.

"Hey, don't get cocky," warned Victor. "Lord knows your ego doesn't need to get any bigger."

Scipio just laughed as his boss started rummaging around looking for the tie his girlfriend had given him the past year.

"I see someone's nervous today," he remarked.

"Of course I am. You would be too if you were in my shoes."

"Well, then I hope I never am."

"Oh, really now?" asked the detective.

"Really," said Scipio. He put his feet up on the desk and leaned back, closing his eyes in the process. He had barely slept a wink the night before, he'd been too busy trying to track down a client's maltese poodle. It had taken him all night but he had finally found the fluffy white thing sniffing around near the Rialto market. Honestly, he was extremely tired and just wanted to sleep, not talk about his non-existent love life.

"I just don't understand you, Scipio," said his boss as he fixed his grey tie. "Not even a bit."

"Mm, how so, Signor Getz?" he murmured somewhat absently. The chair was really quite comfy, if only his boss would stop talking... then he could sneak a quick nap in before his next appointment came in.

"Well, why haven't you ever dated? I've seen plenty of pretty young ladies flirt with you. I mean, I could understand it before, you were still just a kid in a grown up body, but now... You're twenty years old and you don't look any older than twenty-five. There really isn't any reason not to date."

"I suppose I've just never met anyone who really caught my eye."

"What about the girl whose dog you just returned?"

"Vittoria Viti?"

"She was rather pretty, wasn't she?"

Scipio yawned loudly befor replying, "I suppose so."

"Well, why don't you call her up and ask her out?"

"Because in addition to being 'rather pretty' she was also remarkably annoying."

"She couldn't have been that bad, may-"

"She was."

There was silence for a few minutes as Victor combed his hair and straightened out his suit. Today was an important day, he'd been planning it for almost four years, he couldn't afford to screw it up.

"Um, Scipio?" He almost felt bad for continuing to pester his assistant while he tried to sleep, but there was something he'd been meaning to ask for a while...

"Mm?"

"Erm, well, what about Hornet?"

Scipio opened one eye warily. "What about her?"

Victor cleared his throat noisily, this was even mroe awkward to ask than he had thought it would be. "I'm just saying, she's grown up quite a bit these past few years, no one would be too surprised if you two were to-"

"I'm not interested in Hornet, Victor."

"Oh. Really?"

"Really. She's like a sister, nothing more."

"Alright, alright. I believe you," Victor said as he checked the time. "I have to leave now, don't get in too much trouble."

"Do I ever?" murmured Scipio as Victor rushed out the door.

Finally.

It's not that he didn't enjoy Victor's company, he really did, but he absolutely hated these occassionally talks about girls. The question "Why aren't you dating?" was annoying no matter who it came from. Although he usually wasn't asked about Hornet...

It wasn't the first time someone had asked him if he and Hornet were a couple, but it was the first time Victor had ever mentioned it. Although, it did explain the looks he and Ida had been exchanging around them lately. He liked Hornet, he always had, but never in a romantic way. It was true that one of the reasons he had become the Thief Lord was for her, but he had done it for Riccio and Mosca as well. (And if he was really truthful he had done it a bit for himself, too.) Did he really have to have a crush on her in order to take pity on her and want to help her? Couldn't he have just helped her because it was the right thing to do?

He was close to Hornet and she had grown to be a very pretty young woman, but he saw her as a friend, a confidante, and, although he didn't live with her in Ida's home, a sister. He admitted that perhaps she had some qualities he would appreciate in a girlfriend. She was kind, compassionate, intelligent, responsible, adventurous... but even thinking of dating her left an awkward feeling in his stomach and he was pretty sure they weren't butterflies.

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**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And to those who faved as well! You guys motivated me to keep going ;)**

**This chapter came out shorter than I wanted it to... I kinda feel like it was just filler stuff, but I wanted to show a little background info on the other characters before just launching into the main plotline, so I hope you'll bear with me.**

**Review, please!**


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